Fairy Tale Retellings! discussion

Our June book of the month is: Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen.
Here you can discuss it!
Some questions to get you going:
What did you think of this book? Who was your favourite character? What was your favourite thing about that character? What was your favourite part in the book? (please use the "spoiler" so that no one has the book spoiled for them!)

I'm so excited. Happy reading everyone! I look forward to discussing the book.

Thank you :)


LOL....so...ummm...

I wasn't wearing my reading glasses when I "bookshelved" this novel. After a couple of minutes I realised I had started Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts instead.

Oh c'mon, Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts and Beauty and the Clockwork Beast look almost the same! And on Storytel the icons are really small!!!

In my defence, it's late over here and already 1st of June.

Fridey wrote: "Thank you :)


LOL....so...ummm...

I wasn't wearing my reading glasses when I "bookshelved" this novel. After a couple of minutes I realised I had started Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts instead...."
Eh oh, Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts is the fourth book of the series... I've read it already and there's spoilers for the previous books in it.

We all make mistakes lol. Haha. 😂

Little women 1994 (the movie)

Josephine March:
"I'm hopelessly flawed"

Frederick Bhaer:
"I think we're all hopelessly flawed."

:)

Fridey wrote: "Little women 1994 (the movie)

Josephine March:
"I'm hopelessly flawed"

Frederick Bhaer:
"I think we're all hopelessly flawed."

:)"
Exactly :)

Just letting you all know that this book is available to borrow on Hoopla (an ebook website), if you're not sure where to get it. :)

Can any country use Hoopla? I don't really know anything about hoopla (just I googled a little).

Fridey wrote: "Can any country use Hoopla? I don't really know anything about hoopla (just I googled a little)."

It's available to North Americans, and you can use it by connecting your library card. If you have one of course. Sorry, I should have specified!

Ella wrote: "Fridey wrote: "Can any country use Hoopla? I don't really know anything about hoopla (just I googled a little)."

It's available to North Americans, and you can use it by connecting your library ca..."

Aha ok, thank you. I'm in Sweden so it won't work for me.

Fridey wrote: "Ella wrote: "Fridey wrote: "Can any country use Hoopla? I don't really know anything about hoopla (just I googled a little)."

It's available to North Americans, and you can use it by connecting yo..."
Aw that's too bad. Other than hoopla, the book is available on Kindle. I'm not sure where else, except for your local library perhaps. Hopefully you can find it!

I'm alright, I have the audiobook through Storytel subscription. But I prefer to read myself. Audiobooks great when I'm doing something like eating :)

Libraries over here don't have much too choose between. I gave up on that one quite a few years ago.

But then there's always good old Amazon and kindle. :)

@Ella Thanks for the note about Hoopla! I actually wasn't planning on reading this at first, but since it's available on there I'm going to go ahead and read it! :)

@Fridey Thank goodness for Amazon and Kindle... :P

Ella wrote: "Just letting you all know that this book is available to borrow on Hoopla (an ebook website), if you're not sure where to get it. :)"
I have Hoopla too! That's where I first read this book from actually. :)

Carina wrote: "@Ella Thanks for the note about Hoopla! I actually wasn't planning on reading this at first, but since it's available on there I'm going to go ahead and read it! :)

@Fridey Thank goodness for Amaz..."

Here's a link to Hoopla. It's free to sign up, but that's only if your library has already signed up for it. Hopefully your library has a subscription. :)
https://www.hoopladigital.com/my/hoopla

Here are some questions for you all:

Who is your favorite character? What was your favorite scene in the book? Do you have anything in particular that you like or dislike about this book? How do you think the author did for a beauty and the beast retelling?

I'll start. :)

My favorite character...hmm I can't chose haha. I like both of the main character, Miles and Lucy. I also really like Marie.

My favorite scene in the book would have to be (view spoiler)[ when Lucy is in the hunting lodge with Miles and they really start to talk with each other and opening up. I thought that scene was adorable and so wholesome, not to mention realistic. (hide spoiler)]

I really like how the author mentioned and realistically described the effect war has on people. But it also didn't take up so much of the book that there was no more room left for plot. I also really like how this book left me guessing. I'm usually really apt at predicting what happens next while reading, but this book left me guessing all the way until the end which was amazing. :)

For a Beauty and the Beast retelling, I think the author did an amazing job! Nancy Campbell Allen hit all the points that make up a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I really enjoyed reading this book. Five stars! What do you guys think? It's okay if you don't agree. That just makes things more interesting. :D

Ahem...I'm sorry I haven't finished yet (blushing).

But what I can say so far is that I like the author's writing style. She has, (how should I describe it, hmmm) a light way of expressing herself that makes it look effortless.

She doesn't complicate things like some authors do, and no need to read chapter after chapter to get somewhere (in my humble opinion).

She's got talent.

I thought initially that the 'ton was a bit weird but it wasn't bad. It was just unusual for me but who knows, I might end up loving steampunk once I'm done with the book.

I'll have to get back to you on favourite characters. :)

Fridey wrote: "Ahem...I'm sorry I haven't finished yet (blushing).

But what I can say so far is that I like the author's writing style. She has, (how should I describe it, hmmm) a light way of expressing hersel..."

It's okay! Keep going at your own pace we still have plenty of time in the month left.

You're right about her writing style. It doesn't take forever to get somewhere and her pacing is really engaging. I like the way she characterized her characters though. They're really fleshed out and they really express themselves.

Yes she does have talent haha. I thought the ton thing was weird too. Just slightly creepy for me I think since it's a robot programed to be human like. Reminds me a mannequins. Omg imagine if all the mannequins in a store just came to life. That's what it reminds me of lol. I hope you enjoy steampunk by the end of the book. :)

It is a bit creepy, didn't author mention you could program personality in them? I think so.

It sounds really interesting, I put a copy on hold at the library. Hopefully it comes soon!

Yeah, you can program and change the personalities of different tons. Doesn’t that mean if someone wanted to, they could program an army of tons to have psycho murderous personalities and set them loose on the world. 😅 (view spoiler)[ The tons are also especially hard to destroy since they’re made of pure metal so someone could sneakily reprogram someone’s trusted ton and turn it into a blood bath… (gulps) (hide spoiler)] (Above is a slight spoiler, so please don’t read if you aren’t done with the book! Thank you. ) This is just the way tons seem to work in this world, of course. (Gotta put in a disclaimer just in case I get attacked lol.)

Noonecansinkmyship wrote: " Doesn’t that mean if someone wanted to, they could program an army of tons to have psycho murderous personalities and set them loose on the world. "

LOL, it sounded so funny but yeah, you do have a point.

Kinda reminds me of the Orcs in the Lord of the Rings the movie (I haven't read the book so I can't refer to it).

Favorite character: Lucy!

Favorite scene: Not sure?? Maybe the hunting lodge as well.

Likes/dislikes: My favorite part would have to be the worldbuilding!
The setting, the 'tons, the shifters/vampires/ghosts... everything was woven together very nicely. Not sure I would want to visit there though XD Especially if @Noonecansinkmyship shows up with her murderous 'ton army... :O

Retelling: I think the author did a great job incorporating the Beauty and Beast elements! I liked how it didn't feel forced and while it was a retelling, it was still its own story. :)

Very nice said! I totally agree. The world building’s smooth and amazingly intricate.

@Carina I’ve been found out! How did you know?! :0 lol

Yeah, I love how naturally Beauty and the Beast this book is. :)

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. For the ones who liked the book so much that they want read it again, I recommend the audiobook.

So I managed up to 50%.
Not because I didn't like it, actually I liked the book a lot. But in the middle of the book it got too creepy for me and I wasn't sure how it would continue from there.

I really tried, sorry I didn't want to be a downer.

So I'll give my opinion up to 50%.

As I said before, I thought the writing style was really good. And I really liked the steampunk theme and wouldn't mind trying out less creepy steampunk stories lol.

With Lucy being like Belle and Miles the beast it surely had the Beauty and the beast theme.

SPOILER BELOW:

Favourite scene: I really liked when Lucy scolded other people at the apothecary for staring at Mile's scar and treating him like a beast and murderer (definitely Beauty and the beast theme). Miles didn't interfere and act all macho here, "I can defend myself" sort of attitude but instead let Lucy stand up for him.

END SPOILER

What I didn't like: uumm lol the goggles on the hat and corset on the outside of her blouse/dress. I guess it's like the picture of the book. Not a pretty sight, if I may say so, lol.
Someone else might love it but was kinda weird to me. To each their own. :)

Fridey wrote: "I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. For the ones who liked the book so much that they want read it again, I recommend the audiobook.

So I managed up to 50%.
Not because ..."

It's okay! I didn't realize how creepy it was until you mentioned it haha. I guess I have a higher creepy tolerance than I thought? I think it's because the author didn't get super detailed like some other books I read so it wasn't as bad for me. (Those were creeps lol. By the way, if you can't tolerate creeps, you should stay away from Entwined. It's a creepier retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. Just giving you a heads up. :) )

This book really does stick close to the Beauty and the Beast theme and does a fantastic job of it too.

That scene is also one of my favorites too! I love how both of them handled the situation and how it was super in character of them too. :)

Hmm I don't mind the googles on the hat since it's to protect their eyes from the speeding wind (kind of like back when planes had double wings and people sat exposed to the elements in the plane, those pilots had googles to protect their eyes as well). But the speeding wind of an airplane can't really compare to that of ground vehicle I think. After all, people in convertibles don't use googles. Hmm...

I didn't really mind the corset over blouse thing at first since I thought of it as kind of like a belly warmer and not an actual corset. I thought it was shorter than the cover showed, but then I took a good look at the cover and saw how long it was. And I remembered that corsets were used to support women's chests (which is why it was so long on the cover) so it would be like wearing a bra over your shirt today. And that really jarring/disturbing to me LOL. So I can see what you mean. So yeah, I can see where you're coming from and longer corset just aren't my thing (now that I've thought about it haha).

lol you're gutsy, I could use some of that. Share please, lol!

Thanks for the head's up about Entwined. :)

The goggles, I forgot they actually served a purpose. : )
I think there was mention of men not keeping their goggles on their hats but I'm not sure.

Those were just minor, irrelevant things and I wouldn't rate a book less stars due to it. : ) Corset and all was chosen by author's taste in fashion lol...and we clearly don't like the same stuff lol. : )
(Joking).

No biggy.

Just going to chime in :P good point about Entwined, I really liked a lot of things about that book, but even now remembering certain scenes gives me chills. Also hearing the phrase "they're a keeper" bothered me a little while after reading it too XD

Ohh, so that explains the whole goggles-on-hats thing. I was wondering about that as well.

Is it safe to assume that we're not doing a July BOTM, or did I miss something?

Carina’s calling out us moderator’s mistake! 😂 Lol thank you so much for pointing that out. I forgot haha. I'll make a voting poll right now. :)

Okay, great! Thanks! I thought maybe I was going crazy XD

Carina wrote: "Okay, great! Thanks! I thought maybe I was going crazy XD"

Lol no. I did when I realized I didn't post it yet haha. Thank you so much for letting me know!! I sincerely appreciate it.

Noonecansinkmyship wrote: "Fridey wrote: "I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. For the ones who liked the book so much that they want read it again, I recommend the audiobook.

So I managed up to 50%..."

Ah yes, I couldn't finish Entwined, it just didn't sit right with me.

Fridey wrote: "I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a great job. For the ones who liked the book so much that they want read it again, I recommend the audiobook.

So I managed up to 50%.
Not because ..."

I did manage to snag a copy from the library, and I was reading the description on the back which mention vampires and such, which I tend to avoid at all costs in books. But I read the first chapter or so then skimmed a bit and decided not to keep going, so you're not alone!

Ella, thanks for sharing that. :)
It was the ghost thing and that lady (forgot her name) that they brought which is where I stopped reading. I didn't want to find out how she was going to go about it. :/ (shuddering).

Fridey wrote: "Ella, thanks for sharing that. :)
It was the ghost thing and that lady (forgot her name) that they brought which is where I stopped reading. I didn't want to find out how she was going to go about ..."

Ohh I see so it wasn't your guy's cup of tea. It's okay! I'm glad you guys decided to give it a shot. Thanks for that! :) Ohh by the ghost thing you mean the medium? It didn't end up being anything creepy, but I can see why you would be concerned. Completely understandable. 😊

Noonecansinkmyship
Yes, that's what I meant. Lol

Creeps me out!!! lol

Good to know it wasn't anything though

Glad to help. :)